Traffic stop turns into three-county chase

Sunday

Aug 31, 2014 at 8:00 AM

Marsha Miller @mmillerARD

It started out as a simple routine traffic stop in Ardmore Friday night, but got much more complicated for a local man who decided not to put on the brakes and instead tried to gain his freedom by fleeing through three counties before finding himself back in Ardmore and behind bars at the Carter County Detention Center.

Sgt. Brice Woolly, Ardmore Police Department Patrol Division, said an officer attempted to stop Wyoming Perry in the 200 block of 11th Avenue SE about 11:30 p.m. The reason for the stop?

“The officer noticed improper equipment on the vehicle he was driving,” Woolly said.

At first it appeared Perry was going to comply with the “pull over.” But before the officer could reach the car, the 31-year-old man apparently changed his mind.

“The officer was walking up to the car when he sped off,” Woolly said.

The ill-fated stop/start maneuver started a pursuit that Woolly said went from Ardmore to Marietta and then east on state Highway 32.

“As it went from Love County into Jefferson County, OHP took up the pursuit,” Woolly said, confirming Perry was taken into custody by troopers in Jefferson County.

Four and a half hours after leaving Ardmore in his getaway attempt, Perry was back in town and being booked into the Carter County jail pending a number of charges including eluding/attempting to elude and reckless driving.

And the motive for the attempt to flee? Woolly said motive had not been established, but according to court records there could be a matter of outstanding warrants in Murray County for possession of drugs and possession with intent to distribute.